Abducted
by blacksilkrose123
Summary: When her heart's safety is threatened, Sarah Williams never considered the possibility that a certain Goblin King might not be there to save her. J/S.
1. Chapter 1

**Abducted**

By blacksilkrose123 ©2009

**a/n: one-shot. don't own it, just the plot. **

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The parking lot was seemingly empty enough. Orange streetlights clung to the pavement in oval spheres, hardly illuminating the concrete space. There wasn't much Sarah Williams could do, though. The only space available in the freshman parking lot, just her damn luck, was concealed at the very rear corner, shrouded front and side by bushes and trees, and inconveniently half a mile from the _front_ of the lot. She'd spent too much time griping at her step-mother to even pay attention to the clock, leaving the woman in a fitful of tears as she'd marched triumphantly out the door after another blue-string battle of wits. Toby had bawled at her dramatic exit, pudgy fingers outstretched for one Lancelot, whose stuffed arm she hadn't even noticed poking out from her laundry basket. She hadn't meant to upset _him_, but had been too worked up over Karen. But now, as Sarah huffed and finally eased her car between a gnarled oak and spotless convertible, she came to a most vile conclusion.

Karma was a bitch.

She glanced at her backseat. Mountains of clothes, food, and electronics piled high, hardly easing Sarah's bad mood. She groaned and slammed her head against the seat. Since college, she'd developed a nasty habit for packing up her entire room every weekend for home. _Just in case_, she'd explained to many an ex who had helped "move her back in".

But she was alone now. _Thank God_. No nagging boyfriends pushing for the final plunge in relationships. They all wanted the same thing, and it was most definitely _not_ her heart. But it hadn't mattered much to her at the time. Sure, kissing was grand, conditional love was almost grander, but each one had reminded her of someone else. It was a natural magnetic force, pulling her against the tide of logic and into the sweeping waves of dating. She _craved_ him. Five years, and she still itched for that birdbrain of a man. So she tasted each lukewarm affair. Nothing measured up. And, with a distressed sigh, Sarah guessed it never _would_ be enough. Fingers tightened reflexively on the steering wheel.

_Liar._

An involuntary groan of frustration blew out her lips. She _hated_ her subconscious.

_It takes one simple name for it to be enough. C'mon, quit torturing yourself. Just say it. Say. It. Go on. _

Sarah bristled. _I'm not breaking first. _

_You _will_. If it's one thing or another, he'll make sure you do. _

The loud jingling of keys echoed in the lonely car. _I made him up. Figment of—_

_Figment of your imagination, my ass. If I had one, that is. Speaking of which, ever heard of Jenny Craig? Could really do wonders—_

"Shut up!" Sarah hissed at the quiet glow from her dashboard. _There's a time when a girl learns to let go. I gave up, so why don't you? Five years, and I get what I regret. What's done is done, right? It's better to pretend it never happened. _

_Sarah, dear, you have an excellent imagination, but even _you_ couldn't create someone that wickedly delicious. _The voice seemed to pout. _Be selfless for once. _

Sarah snorted. _That means a load coming from you. _

_Want me to say it, then? If the epitome of sexy can move stars, surely he can read minds. Jar—_

"_NO!!!"_ Fingernails dug into her scalp. "_I swear, if you so much as think his name again, I'll_ _make sure Jareth tears you out of my head and dumps you into the Bog himself." _

The voice was triumphantly quiet.

_Shit. _

_Shitshitshitshitshitshit—_

Sarah nearly jumped when her phone exploded in song. She ripped it open and shoved it against her ear, still hissing curses at her brain.

"Sarah!"

She let out a long breath of relief. "Ash? What's wrong?"

"Well, it's like one in the morning, and I'm just kind of wondering where the _hell_ my roommate is?!" Ashlyn screeched. Sarah rolled her eyes, slinking further into her seat.

"Calm down, it's not that—"

"Have you _owned_ a watch recently? Do you remember how to tell time? Because, I'm pretty sure, when the hour hand is on the one, it _means_—"

Sarah glanced at her dashboard's digital. Her eyes widened. "Damnit. Look, Ash, I'm really sorry. I just pulled up. Promise."

"Want me to come help?" But the offer was given hesitantly.

Sarah wiped a rugged hand over her face and shook her head, as if Ashlyn could see her. "No. I got it. I'll see you in a few."

"Look, just be careful. You know we're on a creeper alert, since that sophomore nearly got abducted last night. And two more sightings today. I don't want to have to hunt you down and kick some fifty-year-old perv's ass, okay? I have a freaking eight a.m. class tomorrow, Sarah. So get _your_ ass in so I can get some sleep. Or it's going to be in some hellishly hot water." The phone clicked and Sarah pocketed it, glaring out the windshield. She had to be the biggest dumbass in the history of Illinois. Little hundred-twenty pound Sarah Williams would never be able to stave off a fat, hormonal, serial-killer-in-another-lifetime kidnapper.

Sarah afforded one last glance out her window before shoving it open. A cold blast of wind bit her face, hair blinding her. Suddenly numb fingers fought for the door handle, blindly ripping out her pillow first. She reached in for her bag but froze when a sixth sense kicked in.

Sarah Williams was most definitely _not_ alone anymore. She could feel a gaze boring into the back of her head, heat radiating from the body that was suddenly too close for comfort. An echoing heartbeat pounded in her ears, and it was all she could hear aside from her labored breathing. Now or never. Fight or flight. Endorphins kicked in, forcing locked muscles to reflexively snap into place.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Sarah let out an animalistic snarl and whirled on her victim, letting the feathers of her pillow fly as she smashed and beat the abductor. Her fist caught a square jaw. With hardly a look, she whacked the pillow as hard as she could into the head, and took off running.

She didn't have the air to scream for help. But she had just enough brain power to cry out for someone.

_Don't be stupid. _Another voice, different, this one condescending.

"_Stupid?! Stupid would be rejecting a friend's offer to escort me at one in the morning. Oh _wait_. That _was_ me," _she sarcastically grumbled, feet tripping as she ducked behind a large four-wheeler and hid.

_Exactly my point. Sarah, look at yourself._

She obediently glanced up at the side-view mirrors of the truck.

_You can handle this. Just own up. He'd kill you if he found out you'd been too stubborn and pride-stung to call. But that's a risk worth taking, since he obviously hasn't bothered with you in five years. Why start now? _

Sarah frowned. "_I shut him out—_"

There was a loud scuffle directly to her right. Squeaking out a mild curse, Sarah crouched down onto all fours and crawled around to the front of the vehicle, awkwardly rushing across the aisle until she was tucked away behind a Toyota.

She huffed. "_I shut him out five years ago, without any fast pass back into my life. I didn't expect him to find a loophole in it, or _want_ to find one. I just…" _Sarah trailed off, her heart working faster than her brain. She had singlehandedly turned his world upside down and crushed it within thirteen hours. He'd offered her the world, and she'd denied him till the very end. He _had_ been generous. She wanted a villain, he gave her one. She wanted an adventure, he gave her one. _"He moved the stars, for shit's sake,_" she mumbled bitterly. And she wanted _his_ help now? No. Jareth was a ruthless King, and she would not give him the benefit of the doubt. He'd find some way to twist her words back on her, bind her with a deal.

_God! You are so Goddamn stubborn. _

Gravel scraped a car or two down from her. Sarah wasted no time in jerking up from her crouch and sprinting, weaving in between the cars until she'd broken free of the lines of vehicles. Nothing but wide open greenery was spread between her and the locked door of the dorm. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her, pulling at her tired limbs to make her move faster.

One moment, she was free, and the next her foot caught on something and she was skidding across the ground. Her skin screamed at the grass burns, cheek freely bleeding from a cut she'd gotten on impact. She didn't have time to stay still, but she couldn't move.

_Sarah. Get up! Run! _Do_ something!_

But it was too late. There were footsteps, somewhat muffled from the turf, calmly heading towards her. No running. Just a brisk walk. And then hands were at her waist, pulling her off the ground. Sarah fumbled wildly, thrashing against his paralyzing grip. One hand had moved to wrap itself possessively around the base of her hairline. If he found the right nerve, she'd be done for. With a final lurch, she used the momentum of her dead weight to throw them both off balance. She landed atop him. Fingernails struck their target, and a pained grunt bit past her ear. Her elbow made contact with a rib. Just as she launched herself to her feet, a pair of gloved hands snagged around her stomach and wrenched her backwards. Sarah finally managed to suck in enough air for one word. She knew, at this point, she was too far beyond rethinking the mistake; her mind was already made up.

"_Jareth!_"

And suddenly, the gloves were pulling at her jaw line, effectively stilling her screams. Sarah fought blindly. And finally broke free.

She took off running for the door again, attacker chasing after her. Sarah's heart raced as fidgety fingers fumbled with the keycard, casting anxious glances over her shoulder. He was running at her with breakneck speed.

Adrenaline overtook her body, forcing her fingers to be still long enough to jam the card into the slot, twisting it until she'd swiped the right way. Sarah threw herself inside. The door crashed behind her, a defeated fist following its close. But Sarah didn't turn back. Jareth hadn't come. He hadn't come. He would never come.

Sarah Williams didn't stop. She would _never_ stop running.

Ashlyn had already been dead to the world when Sarah had torn through their room, quivering as the shadows seemed to gather and pull around her. So she quit the room hurriedly, escaping with nothing but a towel, soap, and shampoo. She'd be damned if she'd let a little creeper frighten her out of clean luxuries.

The shower's scolding heat couldn't be hot enough. It tore at her broken flesh, but Sarah paid it no attention, viciously scrubbing her skin with soapy fingernails. Dirt. Blood. Hair. She watched it all swirl down the porcelain drain, itching for hotter water. When her body was spotless, aside from the bruises and cuts, Sarah let her back hit the damp wall and slide down. She curled beneath the assaulting spray.

"_All these years, and I never thought he wouldn't…" _

Her conscious voices sighed, but neither offered any condolence. They both knew the Goblin King had refused her. But it was a fact better left unsaid. Sarah Williams had never bothered with the idea that perhaps, one day, when she'd truly needed him, he would reject the girl. Five years had passed, and she'd _seen_ him—she'd swear—that white owl circling overhead, sweeping in and out of her life as easily as the wind. She toyed with the fantasy of him following her, watching over her, _protecting_ her. It had made her giddy with satisfaction, that while she had crushed his heart, he still held on, waiting for the day when she was ready for him.

As dark waves of depression crashed over her, Sarah slid her eyes closed, tilting her head back into the stream. The mist was gloriously suffocating. She grinned, suddenly, her mask slamming back into place. What did it matter that the Goblin King hadn't come? She'd won _again_. Without his help. If he'd refused her, then surely he had watched long enough to see. His little Sarah Williams had indeed grown up, and no longer _needed_ him or his world.

Sarah opened her eyes—or, she _thought_ she did. Pitch darkness still surrounded her. She hadn't even noticed the water shut off, skin chafing from the damp cold. Sarah panicked. She shot out of the curtain, fingers grappling for her towel as she jerkily wiped the remnants of shampoo and soap from her hair and skin. Wavy, wet curls clung to her bare neck and shoulders, cascading and freezing instantly in ice. "No," Sarah grit her teeth against the white clouds escaping her lips. "_No._ Not now."

She wrenched the stall door open, shoe-less feet slipping on the frozen puddles that flooded the showering room. Sarah went down hard.

"_Sarah…" _

Her nails clawed, pulling her and the towel along the slick surface until she'd made it out into the hall in a heap of snow and ice. She rose to her feet, eyes sliding over the darkened hallway. Though the electricity was out, the emergency fire lights dimly lit the poster-covered walls. Six doors down and she would be dorm-room free. Sarah took a somewhat-confident step in the right direction and then halted.

The yellow light directly above her doorway had just flickered and gone out.

Heart drumming loudly in her ears, Sarah pulled the towel closer around her, glancing behind. She'd called him _earlier_, damnit. He had no right to pick and choose _when_ he would answer her call…did he? Exasperated, Sarah hovered against the wall. It wasn't fair.

Another light, closer to her, exploded in darkness.

It wasn't him. It _wasn't_. Sarah's nostrils flared in utter rejection of reality. No. Jareth was dead to her.

Something hot and burning pressed at the back of her eyes. She blinked it away fiercely. Her heart ached, physically breaking and pulling back her lungs into a heaving pant. Pain licked through her entire body, seeping into her veins and ending at her head, threatening to crack from the dark emotions forced upon her. Sarah didn't want to feel this. This wasn't her. Inhaling sharply, she charged the gradual darkness. But she never had the strength to brace against the gale of wind that slithered around her arms and waist—inevitably hurling her against the cindered walls. She was held there for a moment too long before sliding to the frozen flood. Snow was billowing out of the showered hall, building around her as it threatened to hold her captive. Sarah fought it off. But the ice was clinging to her skin in blue sheets. It slowed her down as another tornado wave barreled at her with maddened speed. "_Stop it!_" she screamed.

"_Sarah…"_ the gale breathed menacingly.

She whirled to her feet again, towel nearly forgotten as she tripped her way into the fluorescent emergency lighting. But just as she breached the darkness, two lights down, the illumination flickered, silhouetting a lithe figure with unruly hair, arms folded, head cocked, and eyes glowing crimson, before blacking out. Sarah twisted herself mid-step. She was too late.

The wind snagged her, twisting round and round until she was levitating a foot off the ground. The shadow before her paced with slow and measured steps, taking his time in those sickeningly familiar knee-length boots. Sarah's eyes trailed further up, to the tight-fit pants hugging the sharp curves of his thighs. A black button-up surrounded his snug waist, un-tucked and unbuttoned, exposing a chiseled chest that rose and fell with the jagged snarls spitting through pointed canines. His hair laid untouched, save for the black spikes twined with the gold, mirroring his rage. And then Sarah noticed the feathers. Unlike their final encounter, the plumes were not sewn into his outfit. They were stuck all over him, drifting to his feet, some shifting as they were swept up by the snaking wind that supported Sarah's suddenly weak body.

Concealed in the darkness, Jareth took a crisp step towards her. The air tightened its hold violently as the girl struggled to breathe. "Well, what have we _here_?" The sneer echoed as the memory of Labyrinth's tunnels blazed at the fringes of her core. There was no mocking in his tone now, though; only resentment.

"Let me go," Sarah all but screamed. She twisted her head to the side, away from Jareth's accusing glare. But the gale snaked its way around her neck and through her hair, twisting it back none too gently.

His voice was deadly calm. "I already have. _Twice._ That's more than generous, don't you think?"

"You're too late. I saved myself."

Somehow, she knew that brow of his rose in delicate sarcasm. "Yes, I can see that."

The windstorm died down slowly, allowing Sarah's feet to touch ground. She'd nearly forgotten her immodest appearance and could feel Jareth's gaze raking over her, mildly amused. "Just let me go, and I swear I won't ever call you again. It was a mistake, and I didn't mean it—"

"Ah, but isn't that what got us into this delicious situation? Do not take for granted that _you_ called _me_, precious Sarah. And I have rushed, set aside my kingdom," he hissed, "for you. Is this not to your finicky tastes, Sarah? Should I have come galloping upon a white steed, declaring my undying envy for a thing I can _never_ have?"

"The only ass that came barging back into my life tonight was _you_," Sarah spat, tugging the towel tighter. She backed up into the darkness, which had seemed to grow hands of its own, shoving her back towards Jareth. Sarah chanced a glare over her shoulder at it. "It was a moment of weakness, _nothing more._"

"But if you turn it this way," he repeated, another solid step closer, "it does not suit you." Jareth paused, inspecting a gloved hand. "Tell me, Sarah, you aren't used to being vulnerable, are you?"

She rubbed at her arms absently, hardly paying attention. She had to find a way out of this.

"No? Neither was I." Jareth paused, eyes burning into her. Sarah nearly wilted under his stare. He was completely vexed, patience waning with her continued silence. Her verbal spirit had dwindled considerably—and he _hated_ her for it. Sarah knew he wished to see that spoilt little girl again, with a temper to match his own. A will power all her own. _For my will is as strong as yours_… Sarah felt a cold shiver race through her bones, settling as a dull ache in her abdomen. "Ah, ta, ta, I know that look. And it won't work, so wipe those words from your venomous tongue. Sarah, really, it _is_ rude…" he trailed off to gesture grandly with his hand. A chair appeared behind Sarah, and she found the darkness shoving her back into it, strapping her in. Her head connected roughly with the illusion.

Suddenly, Jareth was there—_right _there. Fingers braced over her tied wrists on the armrest, filed teeth seething as he searched her face for signs of remorse. When he found none, he settled for her fear.

Sarah returned his gaze defiantly, hardening against his attack. She wanted to hate him, despise him, hurt him the way she'd been left to hurt. Five years wasn't long, but it was long enough. Her dreams, her imagination—everything had vanished when she'd rejected him. Sleep was evasive, and love was even harder to come by. Sarah now found herself shaking uncontrollably before him, teeth clenched as the past washed over her in waves upon waves of regret. She'd taken her brother back from him, but it had cost her dearly in denial of her dreams.

But then, Sarah blinked. She studied his face, hard. Its perfection had been mauled. Three red lines were enflamed just above the right arch of his brow. His lip was cut. No blood, for that would mean he was mortal. But they were cuts nonetheless.

His heady scent cleared as recognition dawned on her pallid features.

Sarah Williams exploded in laughter.

Jareth paled in bitter shock, concern dressed as contempt dancing in those mismatched pools of his. He leaned back from her, folding his arms carefully as he no doubt contemplated what to do with his mortal, whom he'd clearly driven into madness. Jareth's face darkened. "Are you _daft_?" he questioned irritably, visibly bristling at her humor.

Sarah doubled over, as much as she could despite the dark restraints. Her sides ached, but for an entirely different reason now. She gasped, biting her lips to keep her face from splitting open with amusement as she nodded towards the feathers. "Were you mangled by a chicken, Jareth?"

Utterly perplexed, Jareth narrowed his eyes. "I have not even dumped you in the Bog yet, and here you are positively _reeking_ of insanity. You, Sarah Williams, are mad." He straightened up, tugging at his sleeves before regarding her icily. "And it was not a chicken. I merely forgot how you can manage to command _anything_ to your defense—I underestimated your pillow."

Sarah grinned.

Jareth sighed. He reached forward, capturing a tendril of ice in his leathered fingertips. "Do you really think me so cruel?" Agitation was brewing in those mismatched eyes of his.

"_Just as I can be so cruel_." Her tone fell solemn. "Five years can do a lot to change a person's perspective, you know," she whispered. "Each year you became more spiteful, more vengeful, in every shadow waiting to…to…" Sarah blushed, looking away. "Well, I never really got that far in my head. And when I called—there was no blast of glitter, no mocking, just watching." She shuddered, remembering how his eyes felt raking over her back at her car.

"I do not wish to frighten you. But you should never defy me, Sarah. It breeches the King within and pushes to punish. I am not used to such blatant defiance, girl," his voice hardened. He let go of the dripping strand he'd been holding. "But then I remember I have no power over you. Did you know that striking a King _is_ punishable by death, whether or not you constitute as my subject?" Jareth's face turned feral with crisp amusement.

"You would do that?"

The King in question scoffed angrily. "If you portray me as such a tyrant, then I _will_ be said oppressor, if only ever to _please_ you, Sarah Williams."

Sarah's face fumed. She recoiled into the darkness' chair, balking away from Jareth. "It was you, then? You've been taking those girls?" She watched the cool indifference break to reveal a flash of disgust, but she ignored it, _wanting_ to push him over the edge—to give herself a reason not to trust her oldest adversary. "God, Jareth, did kids get boring for you? Five years turn you into a perverted bastard or something? Kids are one thing, but innocent girls… Did you hurt them? Hey, Goblin King! _Answer_ me. What did you do to them? Was it not enough to take from me? But you had to go and _steal_ from them because you lost me?" She didn't sound like herself anymore, but she didn't care. Sarah was too busy relishing in the utter hate that was unsteadily shadowing his face, as the air around them crackled with electric bolts. She dug her heels in as her long tresses pulled and rose around her. Knuckles turned white, Sarah leaned forward, voice low. "Did you rape—"

"_Enough!_" Jareth roared. Everywhere, glass shattered around them, walls vibrating as Jareth's emotions threatened to crumble the entire building to ash. The cinders around them rattled and moaned. Sarah refused to look away from the immortal before her, even as fear began to root itself around and dig into her body. Jareth was circling her, biceps pulsing as he tried to grasp the absurd calm emanating from Sarah. Leather squealed in protest. His eyes were now one solitary color: black.

"You want a war, Sarah? Then you shall _get_ your war." Every word had been carefully annunciated. His fingers twisted and pulled at the air, a crystalline sphere now resting in the palm of his hand. Jareth gazed into it longingly before hurling it with all his strength at Sarah. She flinched. But no impact came.

The crystal hovered before her, fog swirling in its depths. Sarah cracked an eye open. She relaxed somewhat stiffly.

But then the crystal lowered, towards her chest, as strands of light broke its surface, tangling in her hair, around her neck, like the darkness. It caressed, and Sarah fought to regain control against the eerily soothing crystal. Like fingers, it reached down, settling over the left side of her chest. It hissed before snapping the barrier of her skin and penetrating inside.

Sarah could only scream his name. Jareth watched from behind his apathetic mask, ignoring the pull of her call.

The darkness and light released her after a moment, hovering as she collapsed on all fours to the ground at Jareth's feet. He glared down his nose at her making no move to help. So she pushed her hair back, quivering at his feet. "What did you do to me?"

"Generously granted _another_ wish."

Her chest was heaving. "I didn't wish for this!"

Jareth snarled. "You wished for me—so I came, as you expected me to come, and I _took_ as you expected me to take." He crouched down before her, elbow on one knee as he held his chin and mouth. Narrowed eyes were accusing her.

Sarah flung herself away from him, ignoring the dull ache that had risen in her chest. His gloved hand caught her ankle. Jareth slid her back to him as he continued to scrutinize her mockingly, nose scrunched and brows nearly pinched together. His upper lip was pulled up and back from his teeth, curled in repulsion. "Let it go, Sarah."

"Let _me_ go, Jareth," she bit out, back of her wrist pressed to her mouth. Her vision was pulling and stretching, the corners fraying into a haze of darkness. Her stomach twisted as the room spun around them, Jareth still above her as he watched magic take its feral grip on his mortal. Sarah fell limp as energy tore at her skin. She arched her back. Jareth reached for her face, but she flinched away, glaring at him through hooded eyes as she lost all control. Growling, Jareth's insistent hand found its way to her cheek, stroking softly. His gloved fingers flitted around to the back of her ear, cupping it and giving it a gentle tug before tangling at the base of her hairline.

"Relax," he ordered. The command stunned her rebellion, and Sarah Williams obeyed. Jareth bowed his head to the crook of her neck. His hair raised goosebumps along her arms and neck as it tickled and pricked. He pressed his ear to her chest, listening.

And just as quickly, he was pulling away from her, leaving a dull emptiness within and around Sarah Williams. Jareth now held, within his gloved fingertips, the glass sphere, fog replaced with an emerald and violet essence. As he drifted out of reach with it, Sarah found herself leaning towards it, a magnetic force dragging her with him. "Give it back, Goblin King."

A solitary brow rose. "You know not what you're asking, precious."

"It's me—mine." Sarah rose shakily to her feet. "I don't know what it is, but it's _mine_, a part of me, and it's only fair—"

"Do enlighten me on the _fairness_ of you ripping out a piece of me five years ago, Sarah, because I am _dying_ to know how me returning the favor _is not fair._ An eye for an eye, is it not?" Jareth raised the crystal to , face falling as he looked within.

Sarah was visibly shaking. "Is this your _grand_ revenge, Jareth? You _take_ my heart, and then plan on shattering it into a million pieces, only to throw it back in my face? What you couldn't have willingly, you _take_—"

In a moment of blind rage, his arm snapped back, muscles screaming as he threatened to hurl the crystal at Sarah. His whole body stayed poised to strike, eyes darkening dangerously. "Mine," he threatened. "_This_ is mine. Finders keepers, hmm?"

"You didn't _find_ it."

"It was offered freely."

"Damnit, Jareth, _nothing _is free!"

He nodded approvingly, making his way closer to Sarah. "So we _have_ grown up, haven't we?" Jareth turned to stare back at the crystal in his palm. He frowned, voice hollow. "It is broken." The reverence and shame in his tone bit at Sarah. Of _course_ it was broken, she thought. What else did he expect? A brand new, never-before-opened-out-of-the-box organ? But something was still drumming in her ears, and she realized it wasn't the organ that was missing—it was a part of her, only her heart in the sense of the misused word. But still…

She cleared her throat. "How am I supposed to live without a heart?"

He glanced up at her, distracted. The glint in his eyes was raw with emotion, rooting her to the spot with his gaze. "You don't."

"So that's it, then? You take my heart and it's all over? How am I still _alive_ then, Jareth?" Her anger was bubbling up, shaking as she backed further into the darkness, closer to her door. It was mere inches away now. Jareth followed her like prey. Sarah's back met her door. Jareth's arms came up to either side of her face, trapping her in as he pressed the full length of his body against her. He watched her carefully, growling.

"Because you still have mine."

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**a/n: so I needed a break from His Har Har Lee, but now I've got a knife at my throat for my betrayal…and our lovely clown's muttering something about getting my priorities straight…damnit. But ah…don't tell him, this may not be a one-shot. Depends on demand. **

**Reviews **_**most**_** welcome. Thanks for reading. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Abducted**

By blacksilkrose123 ©2009

**a/n: okay, not a one-shot, due to demand! Still don't own it, just the plot. **

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"_The governess had run away two months before; and for all [he] sought her as if she had been the most precious thing he had in the world, he never could hear a word of her; and he grew savage—quite savage on his disappointment: he never was a wild man, but he got dangerous after he lost her." -Jane Eyre_

Sarah could feel the door digging into her back as Jareth towered against her. He was coolly waiting for her bout of rebellion to come. So when it did, without flinching, he quietly took her suddenly flailing wrists in his gloved fingertips and pressed both to either side of her head. She fought him as the wind picked up, sweeping her hair into her face. She fought him as the darkness choked around them.

Sarah Williams fought the Goblin King even long after his lips pressed softly to her temple.

"Sarah," he breathed against her skin. "Do not fight me on this—just accept what _is_." His head pulled back slightly to gaze commandingly into her eyes, demanding she obey. He knew how to use her weakness against her. Sarah inhaled sharply.

"Do you know what today is, Sarah?" Jareth grinned, slowly releasing her submissive wrists to cup her face.

Her eyes slid closed. "N-no."

"Think _hard, _dear girl." But the last thing her mind could form was what month it was. She was too busy focusing on how he felt, so close to her, _too_ close.

_You gave in_, her angelic subconscious admonished.

_I had no choice_, Sarah thought back stupidly as a gloved thumb brushed against her bottom lip.

_Sarah, it's not like he walked right out of a Hollister ad—he's not perfect. Even Fae have an Achilles Heel. _

Sarah sighed, leaning into Jareth's touch, cheeks burning red.

_Earth to Sarah Williams?! Are you off your bloody hinge??? This is Jareth—the same control freak who stole hours from your run, kidnapped Satan's baby, and flaunts his tight-ass pants in front of goblinized children. You really want to let him conquer you? _

Anger flashed in Sarah's eyes—namely due to the mention of Karen, but the Evil Stepmother from Hell was soon followed by the crystal-clear memory of Jareth's cruelty. Rebellion bubbled in her veins, spewing and attacking _his _heart. An idea brewing, the girl visibly winced at the contact of leather. The Goblin King frowned. But he did not resist when Sarah suddenly but gently tugged the gloves from his fingers, mind working fast. Jareth had been appalled at the gentle physical contact, when suddenly his cheek was _burning_.

Sarah's hand was poised in the air to strike again.

_That's your mastermind plan?! God, Sarah, you're losing your touch._

Jareth snapped. "You strike me with my own damn _gloves_?" he hissed, fisting his hands at his sides.

Sarah ignored him. "Just because you _say_ it is, doesn't mean it _is_, Jareth. Here, you're on my turf, stripped of your authority. I'm not some _goblin_," she snorted indignantly, "you can just kick around. And I'm not that girl you met five years ago." Sarah swallowed and stared at the floor. "You missed her a few years ago. And she's gone now."

Jareth grunted. But her words had struck a chord of fear in him, of that she could see. He had pulled back a degree, inspecting her cruelly as if double-checking that the girl he'd snared, and whose heart he had stolen, _was_ Sarah Williams, Conqueror of the Labyrinth. Cold eyes narrowed. Suddenly, a bitter growl exploded from his lips. "What has the world done to you?"

Sarah opened her mouth to retort indignantly that it was not the world, but more _him_, when Jareth stiffened above her, spine bristling in barely concealed rage.

"What the _hell_ is going on out here?"

Jareth's heart froze inside Sarah. His locks were slowly molding into black and red, gold melting away as his ire dripped from the roots. His head was slowly turning to assess the imposer, when Sarah used her gloveless hand to wrap under his jaw and force his gaze back to hers.

"Jareth, stop it. It's just my R.A."

"Hey, _you_, bitch—no guys after 1, remember? Or did he steal your senses when he took your virginity? I mean, _really_?" the girl snorted.

The Goblin King's chest was rumbling with imprisoned growls, shaking as he fought to control the dark magic swirling around them. Sarah's hair was flipping up from the static electricity. Fear settled into the pit of her stomach. "Don't. Just ignore her, and leave. She does this all the—" but a hand clapped over her lips as he allowed the lightning to crackle in the depths of his eyes. His nails elongated and dug into her cheek, palm nearly bruising her jaw. He was distancing himself from her, arm outstretched as he muffled her pleas with him. His gaze remained trained on her as the shadows stirred and boiled into fits of his fury. They curled and bent at the space. Bricks rattled. The already shattered glass around them split off into even tinier fragments. Sarah was tearing madly at his grip. But it was useless.

Jareth was gone.

Only the Goblin King remained.

"Stay here," was all he said, but his voice grated her ears painfully, sending a violent chill racing up her spine. No longer smooth, it beckoned the surrounding darkness. And it obeyed. Shadows wrapped around Sarah as the Goblin King released her, effectively chaining her against the door.

He was pulling away faster than she could see, and was stalking towards Sarah's very cross rooming advisor, Mandy. Steady, determined and threatening steps. Slow and measured, a predator after his prey.

Sarah soon found that the less she struggled, the slower the shadows overtook her. She tilted her head back. It felt like slime, encasing her inch by inch as it drifted up her body. It rested at the base of her neck, threading at her skin. "Jareth," she forced harshly. She physically could not destroy him, but words had always held a sway over him. "Listen to me. You don't want to do this. If you so much as touch her, you hurt _me._" He paused midstride. "Yeah, that's right. Hey, _you._ Mythological dumbass! Let it go, or you're going to have to let _me_ go."

"_Never_," the thunder roared around her. The shade was up to her jaw line now. Fingertips slid over her, caressed—almost as if it _were_ Jareth who was pinning her still against the door, fighting with her to keep quiet. "_I have owned you from day one, Sarah Williams. There will be no leaving, on either side, ever again._"

"Did you pull that fallacy out of your _ass?!_ Cut it out, Goblin King," Sarah spat. The possessiveness in the winds rattled her to the core. The idea of ownership was not one taken lightly. "You've got it all wrong. This isn't your fight, so shove it!"

"Hey, visiting hours are over, so bugger off, freak," Mandy snapped, drawing her robe tighter around herself. But the Goblin King ignored her, bare hands sweeping to his sides. Energy was snapping and pulling around his fingertips as he pushed the very air around them all at one innocent bystander: a very pissed-off Mandy. She bit her lip, but stood her ground. "God, Sarah, I swear—as if the stage isn't enough, you have to go and bed every David Bowie look-alike on campus."

Jareth's hand whipped back as if he meant to slap Mandy.

"Jareth, stop it!" Sarah screamed, twisting her head back and forth as she tried to shake off the darkness crawling up her neck and into her mind. His voice was there, in her head, though his lips made no movement.

'_I will not let her talk to me this way, Sarah. You of all humans should understand I will not tolerate insolence.' _

"Let it go, Jareth, she didn't mean it!"

'_She has repeatedly insulted my human. Encroachment on my property is punishable by death.' _

"_No!_ This isn't your world, and I'm not _yours._ You may have my heart, but you don't have me. I swear, Jareth, you do this, and whatever chance we had will be thrown into an oubliette, damnit!"

'_Shhh, relax. You'll only tire yourself, Sarah. I want you to enjoy this. I know I will.' _

"This isn't the time for this—revenge, whatever—you're taking it out on my R.A. for Pete's sake. You know, she can give me hell if I ever get locked out of my room. Or, heaven forbid, more write-ups. You want to hurt someone? Then fine, here I am, Goblin King. _I'm_ responsible for your broken labyrinth, I knocked you off your damn pedestal, so turn around and face me, you shitty coward—"

'_Watch, Sarah.'_

"I will not watch! I've sat back for too long while you try to control me _again." _Sarah's nostrils flared with ire. Her gaze flickered to the horror-stricken rooming advisor. "Mandy, _run!_ Just scream, 'You have no p—'"

The slime slipped into and over her mouth, silencing her for good. The darkness slammed against her diaphragm—she could hardly breathe. She fought violently now, but it only served to weaken her further. It seeped into her mind. Wave upon wave of calm washed over her. Sarah's eyes were burning with unshed tears at what Jareth was doing. Mandy was, whether the Goblin King consciously knew it or not, Sarah's punishable replacement. He wouldn't have dared harm Sarah on purpose, but Mandy could easily be disposed of, a focal point for his uncontrollable anger that he'd too long suppressed. Jareth could feel Sarah's heart race within him, faster and faster like a bird fluttering against its cage, beating its clipped wings to death as it tried to free itself. And for a faltering moment, the two realized they could _feel_ each other.

An undeniable anguish drowned Sarah Williams, a need for vengeance against herself. She wanted to claw at her face, but the shadows held her firm against the door. She screeched from behind her clamped jaw.

And a heart-breaking crack seemed to explode along the ridges of Jareth's insides, tearing from the inside out as he drew closer to Mandy. The mortal fumbled clumsily with her door handle but couldn't twist it right. She was cowering beneath him. He no longer wanted to be frightening. He wanted to let her go. As Sarah—_no. _Those were Sarah's emotions, not _his._ And he'd be damned, he growled, if he'd let her get in the way of this again.

In a fit of irritation, the Goblin King turned his back on Mandy and marched straight up to Sarah, taking her face in his hands. The darkness receded, washing to a puddle at her feet. Sarah blinked dejectedly. She fought for control of her thoughts. "I just wanted—"

"Keep your emotions to yourself, Sarah Williams," he interjected coldly. "This is your final warning—_stay out of my way. _Or so help me, by the gods, you will regret it. I may not harm a hair on your precious head, but your mind is a different tale altogether." For emphasis, his thumbs dug in against her temples. Sarah's eyes flashed open, her body collapsing into his arms. She shuddered.

Monsters. There were monsters _everywhere. _Their crimson fangs gnashed at her, rolling eyes burning her to her soul. Jareth collected her coolly in his hold, relishing her dependence on him. He had eyes only for her. It wasn't hard to ignore the placed figments of imagination. He feared nothing—save for her. Sarah clawed at his shirt, burrowing into his chest as the screams around her increased tenfold. Her strength buckled. Sarah Williams sobbed uncontrollably against the Goblin King. "Make it stop, Jareth. Make it stop. I don't want to be here." She felt like such a child. But the tearful pleas fumbled from her lips as the adrenaline pumped and forced logic from her brain. Safe. She felt safe in his arms, even as he narrowed his eyes, glaring down his nose at her.

'_Go back to your room, Sarah',_ he chided her mentally. '_They cannot touch you there. Go back to your room. Wait for me there.'_

Dumbly and with a ragged numbness to her movements, Sarah allowed the Goblin King to shove her forcefully towards her door. She slipped inside, Mandy far from sight and mind.

-

_**JS**_

-

It didn't take long for Sarah to snap from her submissive trance. Even as the door closed behind her, the magic frayed and snapped, severing her from Jareth. She could feel his heart drumming wildly, a passionate wrath no human could stand to brew. Sarah winced, fingers clutching at her chest. Her eyes darkened. Her entire body was trembling from head to toe.

As quickly as the goblin fit had come, it vanished. Sarah's eyes flashed, and she nearly drowned in relief. She had to do something—had to block him out. But Mandy…

_Screw her. Let Jareth deal with it._

Sarah turned to glare at the door, batting away her demonic subconscious. The angel on her shoulder had been replaced. "_Believe it or not, I'm not worried about her. I warned him—he knows the boundaries he cannot cross and the consequences if he does. I'm more so worried of the fact that…if he does this every time I piss him off, there aren't going to be many more mortals in the Aboveground…are there?_"

_Who needs a weak, pathetic, hypocritical mortal man when you have Smexy right outside your door? I'm telling you, Sarah—he's bringing it back. And it's not like you can block him out. Where there's a will—hey, what are you doing?!_

Upon her dutiful conscience's stupid musings, Sarah had re-stumbled upon her earlier plan of action. Yes, she _could_ block him out.

Glancing down at the gloves in her hand, Sarah shoved them in a drawer, quickly locking her door and moving next to the window. It took her a moment to work the latch, but she finally shoved the panel closed, effectively shutting herself in. Rubbing at her arms, Sarah took a deep breath, and waited.

The wind outside her door was howling. Jareth's heart was still thundering madly in her chest. But Sarah focused on the door, diverting all her attention to _it_ rather than give into the Goblin King's emotions. Should she stop fighting, they would overcome her, and she would be no better than him. Sarah shook her head sadly, remembering the distant revulsion etched on his face as Jareth had vanished, and the King remained. Lightning lit up the room suddenly. Thunder echoed in the hallway before giving way to another bolt, just outside her door. And through the light, she could see a shadow halt just in front of her door.

"Sarah."

She folded her arms, eyes narrowing as the shadow became a distinct set of legs beneath the crack of her door. Sarah glanced behind her at her unconscious roommate, snoozing away. Her teeth sunk into her lip. Hard.

"It's done. Open the door."

"Go to hell, Jareth." Her whisper was hoarse, but she knew he heard her just the same.

The temperature dropped again. Sarah suppressed the reflex to shiver. _His_ heartbeat was slowing to a crawl, deadening in her chest. Jareth's voice was deadly quiet, warning her. "I will not ask again, Sarah."

She snorted, ignoring the way her hair was freezing all over again. "You didn't ask. You ordered, you pompous ass. So as far as I'm concerned, since I don't answer to you, you can take those demands and shove them up your—"

A roar of rage echoed in the hallway, fluctuating with pain. Sarah grinned madly at the door, unfolding her arms.

"Guess you discovered the doorknob's made of iron. C'mon, _Jareth_, can't you do better than that?" she antagonized under her breath. Then, louder, "Oh wait—you don't have your gloves! Such a _pity_." Confident in her barricade, Sarah whirled around and climbed atop the bunk bed quietly, sliding under the covers. The door was shaking on its hinges, but the Goblin King could do nothing—the entire framing was made of iron, and he had no control over it. Sarah gave into a laugh, which quickly dissolved into giggles. She'd managed to lock the Goblin King out of her room. The girl smiled, snuggling further beneath her covers. In all his magic, Jareth wasn't able to get her—

"_Sa-wah_?"

The girl in question practically flipped out of the bed. She squinted her eyes at the darkness, but found no reflection in her mirror. Sarah frowned. "Ludo?"

"Sa-wah! Sa-wah help," the beast rumbled _somewhere._

"Ludo, where are you?" she whispered cautiously. She felt the bed shake slightly as Ashlyn mumbled something in her sleep and rolled over, burrowing under her blankets.

"M'lady! Look yonder out thy window!"

Sarah's fingers couldn't fly fast enough. It took her several moments to fumble with the closed blinds, but she finally managed to pull and slide them up. She was on a 1 ½ story floor, if you could call it that—not quite ground level, but still low enough for an extremely tall, orange beast to balance a curious fox on his shoulder to peer in. "_Didymus_?!"

"Lady Sarah!" he exclaimed cheerily, brandishing his sword in the pale moonlight. "How we have missed you so! Surely you are doing splendidly? We—that is to say, my brothers and I—have not heard your call. In some time," he finished quietly. His bushy brows pushed upwards with concern, nose and whiskers wriggling in worry. Ludo rumbled in agreement below, eagerly raising a huge paw to wave at Sarah. Sir Didymus grasped hold of Ludo's ear. "Hold still, brother! Wait your turn, noble knight! Thy Lady Sarah is a patient lady."

Sarah sighed, glancing inside her room before whirling back around to lower the cracked window all the way. She was balanced carefully on her bunk, which was pushed up against the glass lengthways. Tottering for a moment, she scrambled to re-latch the iron panes. A thin layer of wired screen was all that separated her from her labyrinth friends. But it was enough, Sarah decided chillingly.

Ludo lifted Sir Didymus higher until his damp nose was nearly pressed against the iron screen. "Wilst thou let us in, m'lady?"

"Didymus—I cannot. I truly am sorry for not keeping in better touch. But you must understand—that night, I had to grow up. And I couldn't chance Jar—the Goblin King," she corrected herself bitterly, "coming back to snatch Toby away again. And you were the only link he could use to get to me. I couldn't risk it, Didymus." Sarah redirected her gaze. "You too, Ludo. I'm sorry."

"Lu-do fo-give Sa-wah," he growled appreciatively, beaming through his fangs up at her. Sir Didymus moved to place a sharp claw against the fabric separating them, but corrected himself violently, shuddering as he moved the claw to the hilt of his sword instead.

"My lady?"

Sarah shook her head. "Not this time, Didymus. You just missed your King, and he'll be missing _you_ soon. I promise to call on you, but it's too fresh for this to start again. Please…please go back, Didymus."

He sighed, bowing his furry head in distress. "As you wish, Lady Sarah. But—we have no portal back. Mayhaps…could we use thy mirror, Lady Sarah?"

Sarah suppressed a laugh. "Are you sure Ludo will fit?"

Didymus allowed a toothy grin. "Magic, my lady, doth not dote on size, but the heart. Even should thy heart no longer belong to thyself…thy brother Ludo shall make it safely 'cross."

Sarah frowned for a moment, but before she could rethink Sir Didymus' words, Ashlyn groaned in the bunk below. Making up her mind quickly, she nodded at the two. "Alright. But hurry."

"My Lady—the screen?" Didymus was staring at her curiously beneath hooded eyes. Sarah's breath hitched. Jareth's heart was calm, too calm. He should have felt her elation at being reunited with old friends. He should have been royally _pissed_ that she'd let them in, and not himself. His heart should have been thundering away with jealousy, threatening to rip through her chest. But it was quiet—and had oddly skipped a beat when she'd met Sir Didymus' solemn gaze.

"Yeah, yeah, of course," she muttered. "Stand back and get down." The two did as instructed, moving down and back several feet as Sarah made fast work at the wedged screen. She hammered away with the heel of her hand, pushing at the iron poles. "So, Didymus, where is Hoggle? Why didn't he come?" Two corners were free—two to go.

Ludo growled low in his throat, setting Didymus down and stepping sideways away from the fox. "Hogg-le in oob—oob—"

"What Brother Ludo means to say, Lady Sarah," Didymus interjected suddenly, "is that Brother Higsbrains has been detained."

Sarah Williams froze. The third corner was loose, and her hands were poised at the fourth. But they were shaking uncontrollably now. Her entire spine had gone rigid with suspicion. Her hair stood on end; the whites of her eyes glowing as she slowly twisted her head down to get a better look at Sir Didymus. "What—what did you say?"

Didymus frowned. "Lady Sarah, is something the matter?" His utter sincerity perplexed her. She didn't even notice her hand slip. And as it fell, it reflexively—accidentally—tore at the fourth and final corner of the iron screen. The fox did not speak until the final barrier lay triumphantly before him. "I merely stated that Sir Hoggswash was unable to accompany us, my _lady_."

'Didymus' turned his mismatched eyes up at her, baring his teeth in a feral grin. "Jareth," Sarah acknowledged, the name dripping off her tongue in a thousand waves of agony, dread, horror, and realization all rolled up into one blinding and heart-stopping emotion. Sir Didymus was not really there. The whole thing was a trap. Knowing nothing else, the shaken girl dove beneath her covers, drawing them beneath her and trapping the edges under her body. Just like when she was four, she hid from the nightmares. If she couldn't see Jareth, somehow, in her adrenaline-rushed mind that was resorting back to childhood antics, _he_ couldn't see _her._ She could hear magic ringing like chimes, as Jareth no doubt transformed himself. Ludo huffed loudly in surprise, his howl filling the night air.

"Your services are no longer required," Jareth whispered, but the order tickled at Sarah's ear. His heart was pacing madly in her chest from the exertion of magic—the spells were practically singing in her veins. It made Sarah almost giddy. She fought to breathe evenly as the magic overtook them both, and she squeezed further beneath her safety net. But it was no use. The sound of wings flapping filled the air as a certain owl swooshed in and landed atop Sarah's covered head. It perched lightly, talons careful not to over-grip. The bird hooted amicably, and Sarah felt, in horror, as it leaned over and dug its head against her neck—_nuzzling_ her. The owl cooed again, leaping off her head to the mattress surrounding, and she watched as shadows played him out tottering over to her stomach. Sarah tried to draw herself up into a ball, but Jareth had already carefully wedged himself in so she couldn't without drawing him closer into her warmth. This time, the bird squawked in irritation as Sarah managed to roll herself over and curl up the opposite way. She felt a prominent stab in her back—his beak. Jareth hooted low again, and it sounded almost like a lover's plea.

"Go away, Jareth, you overgrown birdbrain. Go peck somebody else. That was a rotten trick, and you _know_ it." Her breath hitched as she felt him transform, sliding lengthwise down and around her as his body framed hers, her back to his chest. The proximity heightened her senses—his own heartbeat pounded away in her chest, aroused at how close it was to its master.

Jareth remained silent. His gloveless fingers walked up her blanketed body to her shoulder, then back down to settled on her waist. Sarah's eyes widened in realization of what he was about to do. So before she could squirm herself out of the five-foot drop, Jareth's fingers dug right into her most vulnerable, ticklish spot. It irked her beyond belief that he knew the location of such a weakness, but all anger erased itself as Sarah exploded into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Her hands left their protective blanket stations to try to block his attacks. Which was exactly what Jareth had been waiting for.

The covers were ripped off her head, affording her much-needed oxygen. She gasped. Despite her fit, his heart had remained calm inside. It felt…weird. Sarah exhaled loudly, chest still heaving, as she finally chose to face Jareth.

But she ended up rolling right into his chest. Her eyes slid up. Jareth's head was propped up in his right hand, his left still resting idly on her waist. He was grinning down at her, a gleam in his eyes. "Well, look at what _I_ found. Hello, Sarah." In a rebellious fit of defeat, Sarah shoved angrily at his chest. But she only succeeded in pushing herself backwards and over the edge.

Fortunately, _this_ Fae had quick reflexes. He caught her legs, but left her dangling upside down. Sarah swooned with dizziness, his heart still as her own mind raced with excitement. She twisted her torso around, astonished at Ashlyn's heavy-sleeper skills, when she realized Ashlyn was no longer sleeping.

Ashlyn was no longer in the _room_.

"What the hell did you do to my roommate, Jareth?" Sarah growled.

"Oubliette," he replied nonchalantly. Sarah's blankets had begun hissing. They slithered over and coiled around her legs, effectively trapping her in the same precarious position as Jareth transported himself directly in front of Sarah. He crouched down slightly until they were at an awkward eye level.

_He looks even better upside down_.

"_Shut up_," Sarah hissed at her demonic conscience.

An eyebrow rose. "Beg your pardon?"

"And Mandy? What happened to her?"

"I would imagine the Firey's have found a new toy by now."

Redirecting her attention, Sarah glared bitterly at him. The blood was rushing to her head, making it hard to think. Jareth steadily took hold of the base of her hairline, stroking behind her neck. Sarah fought his soothing ministrations. "Get me down, or you're going to have either a retarded or _dead_ mortal on your hands pretty soon."

Heeding her warning, Jareth slid his other hand along the score of her back before pulling her head onto his shoulder and supporting her weight in his arms as the blankets released her. They seemed to hiss in glee at their master's triumph over the Lady Sarah. But the second her feet touched the ground, Sarah was at the opposite end of the room, brandishing a V-shaped rod. Jareth frowned in curiosity, stepping closer. Sarah waved it at him threateningly.

"You have to bring my roommate back. Mandy too. And then you have to leave. Okay?" She could barely force the words out as a sharp stab prodded at Jareth's heart. "And give me back what's mine, while you're at it."

Jareth crossed his arms indignantly. "You're still the same, stubborn little girl, aren't you?"

"And _you're_ still a pain in my ass. Now get out before I—"

"Before you what, Sarah? Order me to death? _Really_," he drawled, face darkening. Sarah glowered, brandishing the rod in her hands again. Jareth sniffed at the air, eyes narrowing at the weapon in her hands. His grin was feral. "Oh, I see. You're going to…what, straighten my _hair_?"

"This has iron on it," Sarah snapped the hair-straightener in her hands. "And you don't like iron, do you?"

Jareth rolled his eyes.

"I don't have time for this."

"Neither do I! It's," Sarah glanced at the clock on her dresser, "four in the morning, Jareth. In case you forgot—we humans need sleep, or we get rather irritable."

Jareth snorted. "The way I see it, you already are. So really, it's like skipping a step. No use for it now, hmm?"

Sarah growled and charged him, straightener aimed at his throat as the iron hissed in the air, practically glowing from the heat. Jareth was too quick for her. He disappeared and reappeared behind her, gripping her wrists above her head in one hand, while the other held her struggling body still, painfully bruising her ribs. "This is ridiculous, Sarah. Drop the immaturity, and settle this like a _real_ wo—what is that _smell_?!"

Sarah smiled innocently, giving a trapped strand of his hair a gentle tug. It was effectively burning the tress, and Sarah had to fight back another explosion of laughter as Jareth's eyes widened in pure horror.

"_Damnit, Sarah!_" he spat, tightening his grip painfully until she released the weapon. It vanished. But the damage to his hair had already been done. The stench filled the room, however small the sabotaged piece of hair was. And, apparently, Sarah realized with comical dismay, Jareth's head was eliciting more smoke than imagined.

"Must be something with the iron," Sarah muttered.

Jareth's enraged visage pulled back into a sneer. "Yes, _something_ with the iron, you vixen."

"An eye for an eye, Jareth," she leered back, gesturing to her screen-less window.

"Do not put blame on me, you insufferable child. _You_ removed it of your own will."

Neither had noticed that the steam of smoke from Jareth's hair was coincidentally lifting upwards—directly beneath the smoke alarm.

"You tricked me, you British con-artist. You falsely led me to believe… Ha, and _you_ want _me_ to trust a conniving little jackass like yourself? In your crystallized dreams, Goblin King."

Jareth's voice was somber. "You've taken it all for granted, once again, Sarah. _Everything._ Do you understand nothing? You take back what's yours, and an entire world dies. Your friends—everyone. The labyrinth will be reduced to nothing—much the way you left it, but for good this time. Our hearts, separated from their origins, will _die._ My kingdom would be at a loss. I would cease to exist. But you, I imagine, with what magic is in mine, would go on forever. _Alone._" Jareth reached for her, effectively trapping her jaw in-between his thumb and forefinger. "Would you really have me give it back?" he growled menacingly, _daring_ her to wish for her heart.

Sarah pulled back, but Jareth remained firm, not letting go of her. "Trade it back, then. Mine for yours—"

"It does not work that way, Sarah Williams."

"And why the hell not?!" she yelled at the Goblin King. His hair was immediately submerged in black again, mirroring his bipolar mood—save for, of course, that one burnt, smoking strand. Jareth leaned into her face.

"Yours can be taken back, because it was _taken_ unwillingly, whereas mine—"

The fire alarm exploded in a shrill, piercing panic. Sarah screeched, and in a moment of passionate instinct, Jareth pulled Sarah into his arms, effectively trapping her against him with his protective embrace. She curled obligingly against him as the overhead fire sprinklers hissed and began spitting out water. Sarah groaned, face softening. "Now you did it."

Jareth snorted, but released her. He shielded his face as he glared up at the sprinkler spouting havoc upon them. His hair was quickly dampening and plastering to his face. "I was not aware it could rain indoors."

Sarah rolled her eyes, spine bristling in irritation. "Your hair set off the fire alarm, Jareth."

"I do believe that is the pot calling the kettle black, Sarah."

"Whatever." She paused as she headed for the door, jerking it open. Students were filing out, soaking wet in their pajamas as they grumbled vile curses and plagues on whoever had disturbed their slumber. Sarah winced before turning around to face Jareth again. "You coming?"

The Goblin King narrowed his eyes. "I have no choice."

He turned his back on her, heading towards the window.

"Uh, door's this way."

"Does short-term memory run in your family, Sarah? Or have you easily forgotten your little prank?" he snapped, spreading his arms as he prepared to transform.

"Damnit, Jareth, _you_ tricked _me_."

"You were warned."

Jareth's heart thudded loudly in her ears, and Sarah tried to block out the calm he was emanating towards her by his very presence. "When?"

"Today. What is today, Sarah?"

"Hell if I know, Jareth. The date is kind of the last thing on my mind when a mythological creature in tights barges back into my life in the dead of night." She glanced over at her calendar on the wall, squinting through the water's spray. "April first. What—_oh._"

"'_Oh_', indeed, my little fool."

_**JS**_

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**a/n: so I seriously considered posting a blank chapter on April Fool's…but I didn't have enough bravery to face an angry mob. So, I was a nice little author. **

**Funny story: I went to ride my horse today, and in all of 5 seconds, I had been rammed against the barn, busted my knee, threw myself off him, and landed in a foot-deep pile of crap. And my mother caught it all on video. Youtube, anyone? **

**Thanks to all my reviewers for the first chapter. You guys seriously are awesome. If you haven't already, be sure to check out His Har Har Lee for all you Joker fans—again, I have not abandoned it. My mind's just been stuck in an oubliette. **

**Special thanks to: Danielle M Hyde, ScarlettIvy, bra4goten, Ecki, hazlgrnLizzy, chibi_blue_mouse, Rayne StarDust, Khata, L., notwritten, HappyMand, Thundara, lovelessblackinu, TiskTask, and ..! **

_**Please Review!!!**_


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